The Perils of Publishing

by Chris Cumo WERE GOD AN Ivy Leaguer, his 11th commandment would be publish or perish. The words reverberate through academic libraries and archives. In the Darwinian competition for jobs and promotions, ostensibly victory crowns the scholar with the longest Curriculum Vitae. Sociologist Pierre van den Berghe, himself the author of seven books, admits in Academic Gamesmanship (Abelard Schuman, 1970) that “Scholarly publication is … an extremely elaborate and patient exercise in [V]ita construction.” He urges new Ph.D.s to “Rush into print, at least in the early stages of your professional career.” Western Michigan University medievalist Larry Simon tells adjuncts they are dead if […]